Dragon Age: The Lost Origin
by PrinceAmell
Summary: The Human Apostate Warden, along with several of the other Origins, takes on the Blight in this retelling of Dragon Age: Origins! Warden and non-Warden origins. MxM, MxF relationships.
1. The Apostate

**Hi guys! So this is my first Dragon Age fanfic that I've attempted for a while. This will tell the story of my 'lost origin', the human apostate. It will also feature a male human circle mage and two other origins, which I'm leaving down to you! Just vote for an origin and their gender/class and the two with the most votes will be in the next chapter! Two votes per reviewer please! As the story continues you as readers will also be able to vote on the Wardens' specializations and love interests within the party! Please review and let me know what you guys think!**

**Also, I own nothing other than my OC. **

The sun glared down on forests around Redcliffe, causing the young man to sweat as he dodged and weaved his way through the magical bursts of energy that were flying towards him. Wiping his messy brown hair out of his face and the sweat from his brow, the man brought his hands together and focused his energy. With a sharp breath he released the power brewing within him, willing the silver-blue light that was glowing in his hands to stretch around him and form into a translucent, shimmering dome that absorbed the next couple of Spirit Bolts that flew at him from his assailant.

"Excellent Spell Shield, but it won't hold forever." His opponent, an older woman with the beginnings of crow's feet around her eyes and long, silky black hair with just a hint of grey at the sides smirked as she begun to channel her own power. This time it was fire glowing in her hands, not the purplish hue of a Spirit Bolt. Snapping her arms outward she released the jet of flames towards the younger man.

"Damn it!" He hissed, beginning to sweat under the heat of the flames as they engulfed his shield. He poured more energy into it through his clenched hands and watched as it stretched outward, pushing the flames back with it. He grinned, thinking he had won until he felt his strength begin to wane and saw the shield flicker. "Andraste's ass." He groaned, allowing the shield to drop completely and instead throwing his hands around himself, willing the earth to rise up around him and surround him in rocks that shielded him from the blast of flames.

"Your defensive spells are, as always, on top form Garric." His opponent commented. "Yet still you do not fight back! What will you do if faced with a Templar, or worse yet a demon? Throw up shields and armour in the hope that they will tire of striking you? Fight me!" To punctuate her words she released a flurry of Spirit Bolts which the young man, Garric, still surrounded in rocks, deflected with a swing of his arm as each came close enough to hit him.

"Very well, mother." Garric grunted, summoning what remained of his power and chanting furiously as he drew a shape in the air with his left hand. Recognising the pattern her son was creating, his mother quickly attempted to move but wasn't fast enough to escape the spell. Looking down she saw the glowing glyph, overflowing with power, take shape beneath her and instantly sap her of all of her mana.

"A Glyph of Neutralisation? You have been reading mother's grimoires I see." She groaned, pride in her voice despite the exhaustion from the sudden loss of mana.

"Do you still wish to go on, mother?" Garric asked, his muscles still tense from the concentration needed to cast such a spell.

"You have neutralised my mana, true, but what if I were a Templar? You would've used a paralysis glyph but that would soon fade and my sword would be upon you!" The elder mage declared. "Strike me down before my blade is at your neck!"

"Very well." Garric grunted, summoning the dregs of magic he had left once again into his hands which were now freezing cold and glowering with icy power. Muttering the incantation for the spell Garric raised his hands above his hand before bringing them down sharply with an air of finality. The magic hit his mother, still trapped in the binding glyph, hard in the chest. Ice spread across her body as she fell to her knees shivering.

"Very good, son." She said as her teeth chattered and the glyph around her faded. "Be a dear and heal me, won't you? There's a lyrium potion in my satchel." Garric walked to the edge of the clearing they'd been duelling in and retried the small vial filled with a faintly glowing blue liquid from the brown satchel sat there. Downing the vile tasting substances Garric instantly felt his mana reserves replenish somewhat. Only rest would allow him return to full strength but the minor potion was enough for him to send a wave of healing energy to his mother, her body warming up instantly as the ice melted and then evaporated from her body. As she stood up Garric picked up the satchel and walked over to her, taking her outstretched arm as they both begun to walk back to Redcliffe.

"A good practice today, son." His mother said to him as they walked to the edge of the forest. "The way you created and maintained a glyph of such a high level was truly impressive, though I do wish you'd start to focus on your offensive abilities. In truth, the only reason that ice spell hit me so hard was because the shock of having my mana drained weakened me first."

"I know mother, I just find defensive spell and the entropy spells come to me easier." Garric replied as the walked down the hill and into Redcliffe proper.

"I know dear, but you must try and be diverse." His mother replied, turning to him as they approached the centre of the small time. "I think I shall go and visit your father at work. Will you be joining us for supper?"

"Yes mother." Garric said with a smile, leaning down to kiss his dainty mother's cheek. "I think I'll go to the tavern, see if Maria is around."

"Don't you and that girl drink yourselves to the point of vomiting all over the place again." His mother said sternly, despite the smile on her face. "Have fun dear."

"See you for supper, mother." Garric smiled as his mother made her way to the market where his mother would no doubt be attempting to sell his wares. Garric made his way quickly to Redcliffe's only tavern but instead of going inside Garric discreetly checked his surroundings before making his way to the back of the building, through a rather large copse of bushes, to a discreet little alleyway between the wall of the tavern and the face of the cliff that stood behind it. The gap was tight, big enough of perhaps two people to stand chest to chest and it would still be a tight squeeze. Garric's face lit up when he saw the young man in Templar armour stood waiting for him.

"Garric." The Templar grinned when he saw the apostate, rushing to him and pulling him into his arms.

"Rodney!" Garric swooned, kissing the Templar's lips gentl. It was quite the scandal, the young Templar and apostate having an affair, which is what made it all the more fun. Rodney was Garric's childhood sweetheart, both having grown up in Redcliffe being around the same age. Whereas Garric was rather slender for a man, despite having a good body, Rodney was half a foot taller and much broader due to his training as a user of the two-handed sword. Add to that his sandy blonde hair and devilish good looks and Garric was smitten.

"I can't stay long, love. The Knight-Captain has called a meeting of the Templars to discuss what we're to do about these bandits that seem to have taken up residence in the caves amongst the cliffs." Rodney said, holding his young lover close.

"It's about time someone did something." Garric grumbled as he leaned his head against Rodney's armoured chest. "The Arl's guards don't even seem to be noticing."

"The Templar's have only taken interest due to a Chantry missionary being robbed by them, truth be told." Rodney said as he took off his steel gloves and ran his fingers through Garric's mop of dark hair.

"Promise me you'll be careful." Garric whispered as he ran kisses along the jawline of his Templar.

"You know I will, love." Rodney whispered back comfortingly. They stayed like that for a few minutes before the Templar kissed his mage goodbye and made his way to the meeting. A little disappointed at being left by his lover, Garric made his way inside and quickly found the buxom blonde girl he called his best friend.

Maria and Garric had been close since childhood and she, other than Rodney, was the only villager who knew was a mage. She was dressed in tight leather hose and a rather revealing blouse with twin daggers strapped to her belt, currently arguing with the bar tender over the price of an ale. Her hand was moving to her daggers when she spotted her best friend entering and her mood quickly changed.

"Garric! My love! You've returned to me at last!" Maria grinned, wrapping her arms around his neck and planting a firm kiss on his mouth.

"Oh darling, what will the neighbours say?!" Garric asked with a laugh as he slapped Maria on the ass. He and the rogue girl always played this game together, if nothing else but to get a laugh out of the usually sombre Redcliffe villagers.

"They'd say that this thief should be charged with piracy for the amount he charged me for an ale!"

"Does this place look like a boat to you, Maria?" Corff, the grumpy bartender, asked.

"Don't harass the poor man, darling." Garric teased, paying for himself and Maria a drink before taking a seat at one of the tables. "So, what's up with Maria today?"

"Other than those god damn bandits leering at me? Nothing." The blonde rogue grumbled as she sipped her ale. Garric discreetly looked past her to see a group of armoured thugs laughing loudly as they drank.

"I can't believe he's serving them." Garric muttered disapprovingly.

"Corff would allow a full company of chevalier to drink here if it meant he could earn a silver or two." Maria sniped, looking over her shoulder at the bandits. "Oh, shit." She hissed as one of them who had been staring at her stood up.

"What's wrong?" Garric whispered.

"This one won't leave me alone." Maria groaned as the bandit approached her.

"Now see here lass, there's only so many times old Lester can proposition a girl, even one as beautiful as yerself." The bandit who approached them was on the older side, his hair greying, but it didn't make him look any less intimidating. He was huge and covered in rippling muscles and tattoos. He had a black patch over one eye and a fearsome looking broadsword strapped to his back.

"And there are only so many times I can turn down such an offer, even from a cave dwelling parasite such as yourself." Maria spat back, her voice dripping with venom. That got old Lester angry.

"Now see here, bitch." He growled, slamming his hand on the table. "I'll ask you one lass time. Come with me and I'll make you a queen amongst bandits. Would you really turn that down for the weedy lad you have here?!"

"Oh, don't mind me." Garric muttered. Maria, however, was up in a flash. Before anyone knew what was going on old Lester had been shoved up against the bar and Maria was upon him, one of her prized daggers held at his throat.

"How many times do I have to tell you to go to the Void?!" she hissed.

"Oh, old Lester like's them fiery." The bandit leader grinned. "It'll be fun breaking you. Now, lads!"

Everything else happened so fast that Garric barely had time to register what was going on. One of the bandits at the table must have been a mage because Garric felt the familiar tug of someone casting a spell near him and suddenly the room was filled with a heavy, choking black smoke that obscured all vision. As he and the other patrons chocked on the smoke Garric heard a struggle and a familiar scream.

"Maria!" he yelled, willing the door open with his magic and, thankful that he was obscured from vision by the other mage's strange spell, dispelling the fog with a spell of his own so that it all siphoned out of the door. True enough to his fears, Maria and the bandits were gone.

"Call the guard!" one of the patrons yelled, but Garric was already out of the door. The young mage raced down into the town proper and towards his house, bursting through the door into the small kitchen area where his mother was roasting a rabbit.

"You're home early dear." She said, her voice holding a hint of concern. "What's the matter?"

"Maria has been kidnapped by those bandits." Garric said between heavy breaths. "I can't just let them take her, mother. Their leader wants to marry her!"

"Well we certainly can't let that happen." His mother said, making her towards the broom closet and pulling out a thick piece of wood that was almost as long as her. "Take this with you, it was my staff I used in the Circle." She said as she passed it into her son's hand. Garric marvelled at the rush of magic he felt when he touched the staff. The tip of the wood, carved from a beach tree, was carved into a oval-shaped cage with a large, gleaming red gem set in the middle. "The crystal is the conduit for a mage's magic. You let your own mana flow through the staff and the crystal manipulates it into bolts of flame."

"Thank you mother." Garric said, his voice humble as he bowed his head to her.

"Oh no son, you aren't going alone." She said, pulling out another staff, this one almost identical except with a purple gem set in the top. "I won't let you fight these brutes alone. These staves are enchanted so that, although they won't be invisible, non-magical people will be forced to pay them no attention meaning as long as we move through the town quickly we'll be able to avoid being detected."

"And I'm guessing you two are set on this?" another voice asked from the doorway. A burly brown haired man stood there, looking at the both with his arms crossed.

"I can't let them hurt her father." Garric said.

"So you shouldn't son." His father said proudly, clapping his son on the shoulder before turning to his wife. "Diantha, are you sure he's ready?"

"He has to be Mikael." Diantha replied. "Besides, I'm sure his pet Templar will be accompanying us."

"Mother!" Garric gasped, his face turning red with embarrassment. "How did you even know?"

"Please darling." Diantha laughed. "That boy has been following you around since you were children. Even after he joined the order I knew he wouldn't rat us out, if not for his affections for you then for all the times I healed his scraped knees or helped his mother give birth to his siblings. Go to him now and meet me at the edge of town."

"Very well mother." Garric said, bidding his father goodbye as he quickly and discreetly made his way to the Chantry. He knew the staff strapped to his back would be protecting itself but he didn't want to take any chances. Luckily Rodney was stood outside the Chantry so he didn't have to risk going inside.

"Garric, what's wrong?" Rodney asked, his voice concerned about the look on his secret lover's face.

"The bandits took Maria!" Garric said quickly. "Please Rodney. I know the Templars know which cave they're hiding out in. You have to show me so I can help her."

"Very well, but I won't let you do this without me." Rodney said determinedly. "We'll have to be quick though love. The Templars are soon planning to mount their assault with or without the guard and if they catch you performing magic…"

"I know, but I can't sit around and wait for the Templars to act." Garric replied. "Let's go!"

Soon Garric and Rodney had met Diantha at the edge of town and the young Templar led the two mages to the entrance of the cave. Drawing his blade, Rodney took point while the two mages followed behind him, both conjuring Spellwisps to provide light.

"They're camped a little further in, where it is far enough for them to have torches without them being seen from the entrance." Rodney whispered back. Soon enough they approached an open chamber with the light of torches glowing from within. Extinguishing their magical light sources the group snuck closer until they could see inside. Maria wasn't anywhere in sight, but about six of the bandits were gathered around a table playing cards.

"Perhaps discretion would be best used here." Diantha suggested.

"Screw that, see the scrawny one?" Garric whispered back, nodding toward the one he was speaking of. "He's the mage that dropped the smokescreen in the tavern. He's mine."

"Alright, what do you suggest?" Rodney asked.

"Do you think we can spread a little confusion?" Garric wondered. "Rodney, if you could drop a smite on the mage at the same time as mother casts a fireball to disperse the warriors we can split them up. You two then take out the swords while I go for the mage."

"Sounds good to me." Diantha said, fire sparking up her staff as she summoned her power.

"Be sure to step back then." Rodney said grimly as his body and eyes began to shimmer with blue light. Once the aura had grown to a considerable strength around him he stepped into the opening at the same time as Diantha, who now had a large ball of flames swirling at the end of her staff. They released their attacks at the same time, a wave of lyrium-fuelled energy flying out of Rodney and striking the mage so hard that he was thrown back against the cavern wall, disoriented and with his mana bound. Diantha's ball of flames flew into the centre of the group, who was by now just starting to get up and drawn their weapons. The fireball exploded, sending the few that weren't horrifically burned flying outwards. Garric quickly made his way toward the mage while the lucky few warriors begun to get up and move towards him. Letting his magic flow through the staff he released a burst of flame into one warrior's face while hitting the other with a confusion hex that caused him to fall to the ground. Rodney leapt upon another warrior who had been badly burned but still had the strength to get up whilst Diantha used her Earth magic to petrify the one that approached her. The mage stood, feeling some of his magic start to return to him, and tried to blast the approaching Garric with a weak Shock spell. Garric wordlessly summoned a spell shield that absorbed the attack easily before raising his staff, the crystal pointing towards the mage. Allowing his magic and anger to flow through the totem Garric didn't realise what was happening until the spear of ice that was forming at the end of his weapon had already been released and pierced the heart of the enemy mage.

"Are you alright, love?" Rodney asked, placing a hand on Garric's shoulder as the young apostate stared dumbly at the man he had just killed.

"The first kill is always difficult to process." Diantha said solemnly. "But you can be confused about it later, dear. We surely have only a little time to rescue Maria before the Templars arrive."

"Oh, yer lookin' for this one, are ya?" Old Lester asked as he entered the chamber, dragging Maria along, dressed only in her smallclothes and bound by chains on her wrists and ankles.

"I strongly suggest you unhand her." Diantha growled, an aura of fiery magic surrounding her. Rodney's eyes begun to shimmer blue with lyrium energy as a cloud of entropic power begun to flow around Garric.

"Blast me and she gets it!" Lester snarled, yanking the chains so that Maria was tugged in front of him.

"Just kill him!" She hissed.

"I can't blast him without risking hurting the girl." Diantha growled, the aura of magic around her dying down as Rodney lowered his sword.

"You can't." Garric grinned, his power still flowing around him. "But I can." With a quick chant under his breath and a thud of his staff on the ground Garric unleashed a burst of cold that froze the ground beneath Old Lester and Maria, causing them both to slip and Lester to drop the chains. Moving quickly Diantha scurried over to the girl, using her spells to remove the chains and pulled her away from the bandit who was slowly getting up.

"I'll have your head for that you little freak!" He growled, drawing his sword only to suddenly stop. His eyes went wide as he gurgled a little then fell, revealing a man stood behind him holding a bloody dagger.

"He was rather annoying." The swarthy, bearded man said.

"And just who are you?" Diantha asked, still holding Maria close. Before the man could reply, however, the cave was soon swarming with Templars.

"Mages!" The lead Templar, a helmeted woman in the Knight-Captain armour, growled when she saw Diantha and Garric. "And Ser Rodney. You knew of these apostates, did you?"

"Ser Marian they just helped me exterminate these bandits and save this girl!" Rodney said quickly, stepping between the Templars and mages. "They do not deserve to be punished for using their powers for good!"

"Mages are mages, Knight." Ser Marian growled. "Templars, apprehend the mages and prepare them to be sent to the Circle."

"You will not touch them!" Rodney roared, drawing his blade.

"Go through Ser Rodney if you must." The Knight-Captain said as she and her Templars drew their own weapons.

"If I might interject." The swarthy skinned man with the dagger said, stepping between the two parties.

"This is not your battle, Warden-Commander." Ser Marian snapped at the man.

"Please, call me Duncan." The man replied.

"A real Grey Warden, here of all places?" Diantha asked, surprised.

"I merely came here to assist with the bandit problem with a few of my recruits when I saw these people defeat them alone to save their friend. Therefore I hereby conscript this young apostate into the Wardens." Duncan said, turning to Garric.

"What?" Garric asked dumbly.

"Absolutely not!" Ser Marian snarled. "He is an apostate to be punished!"

"I'm afraid not, Knight-Captain." Duncan replied. "This young man showed that he not only has great magical prowess but also great compassion for rescuing his friend and ingenuity in the way he used his power to save her. He is therefore offered a place in the Wardens, if he should want to take it?" Duncan turned to Garric as he said the last part. "What do you say, young man?"

"It would be a great honour to join the Wardens son." Diantha said to him. "The Templars and Chantry would be unable to touch you and you can use your powers for the good of all Thedas."

"It's true, it would be an honour to be one of your order Ser." Garric said as he thought over the offer. "I accept, Commander Duncan."

"You may have stolen that mage, Warden, but I'll have the other and the traitor!" Ser Marian hissed, taking a step forward.

"I think not Templar." Diantha replied, casting out her will in the form of a Mass Paralysis spell that froze all of the Templars on the spot. "Rodney, if you wish to escape come with me. This spell will hold them but not for long. We'll gather my husband and a few essentials and leave town immediately."

"But mother!" Garric said, grabbing her arm.

"Don't worry darling, we'll meet again someday." Diantha smiled, kissing her son's head gently. "You have to go and be a Warden now. We'll find each other again." Garric turned to face Rodney, his Rodney, with a tear in his eye.

"You'll keep them safe, won't you?" He asked.

"Of course love. Go and save the world." Rodney smiled, leaning down to passionately kiss Garric.

"We should leave now." Duncan said, coughing into his hand a little to break them apart.

"Yes, let's leave before the spell wear's off!" Diantha said, leading the group out of cave and leaving several glyphs as traps for when the paralysis spell released the Templars. With one final goodbye Garric and Duncan separated from his mother and former lover.

"So, tell me boy, what is your name?" Duncan asked as they walked away from the town.

"Garric, ser."

"Well Garric, welcome to the Wardens." Duncan smiled, clasping Garric on the shoulder. "I know how hard it is to leave everything behind, but trust me, this is better than the Chantry chopping block and there is no greater purpose for a mage than to use their powers to fight the evil of the darkspawn. Soon we shall reach Ostagar and get you officially joined, but first you should meet your fellow recruits."

"Yes, Commander." Garric said, absently turning for one last look back at Redcliffe as, even now, it faded in the distance.


	2. The Tower of Ishal

**I decided to mix it up a bit and include more Wardens, simply because once their characters got into my head I couldn't get rid of them! Still, reviewer input and involvement is greatly encouraged guys! So without further ado, please enjoy this new chapter! : )**

Garric looked around the group as they walked, following Duncan and one of the other Wardens away from their meeting with King Cailan. There were eight who were put through the Joining and only two perished. The surviving six, three elves and three humans, were now full Grey Wardens. The other human man amongst the group was, like him, a mage. He wore the rather garish looking robes of the Circle of Magi and had shaggy auburn hair. His name was Atticus Amell and had been the Warden invited by Duncan to join him at the war council with the King. Atticus had inserted himself of the leader of their merry band on the mission into the Wilds to secure the darkspawn blood required for the Joining and the treaties Commander Duncan had requested. Garric didn't mind following the attractive mage's lead as he had revealed himself to be exceptionally powerful with destructive magic, annihilating a squadron creatures Alistair, the junior Warden and former Templar who had accompanied them on the mission, had called hurlocks with a towering inferno. Next to him was a pretty, slender elven girl in similar robes. The girl was petite, even for an elf, and had hair so blonde it was almost white in a tight bun. She had introduced herself as Tiaran, although Atticus referred to the tiny elf as his 'little sister'. During the mission she had hung to the back with Garric, her skills at healing and casting spells to strengthen the warriors nicely complimenting Garric's defensive glyphs and entropy spells he used to confuse the darkspawn. The two had become fast friends during their little jaunt into the forest.

Ahead of them, with Duncan and Alistair, stood the tall, beautiful warrior who had charged headlong into the darkspawn with her sword and shield raised high beside Alistair. The brown haired beauty, he had quickly learned, was Lady Alexis Cousland, daughter of the late Teyrn of Highever. She had been recruited after Arl Howe of Amaranthine slaughtered her family and took the Teyrnir by force. She was a pleasant enough lady but was rather quiet when they weren't in battle. Finally, bringing up the rear of their group were the two elven rogues. One of them, a sly young man with hair as dark as the night sky was a native of the Denerim Alienage. He only went by the name of Trick and slashed at the throats and backs of darkspawn with his twin daggers so quickly that his enemies didn't see him until they were desperately clinging to their last breath. Finally was the other male elf of the party, Danlas, a quite young man with longish, chocolate coloured hair tied in two braids at the side of his face and fearsome tattoos across his forehead and cheeks. He had a curved sword and dagger on his belt that he called _dar'misaan _and _dar'misu_, respectively, and a beautifully carved longbow at his back with a full quiver of arrows. The elf had also said little during their mission preferring to hang back with the mages and release his volley of arrows along with their spells, turning to his blades and striking any darkspawn who came too close to the mages along with Petunia, Alexis' mabari.

Garric had been so absorbed in his observation of his new brothers and sister that he hadn't realised they had arrived at the fire pit at the centre of the ruins and Duncan had turned to address the new Wardens.

"What do you mean we won't be involved in the battle?" Alistair whined. Garric blinked. Had he missed something?

"It was the King's decision that you and I lead the new Wardens up the Tower of Ishal." Atticus spoke up before Duncan had the chance to answer. "We need to light the signal to alert Teyrn Loghain's men when to flank the horde."

"You do realise that you've only been a Warden for half an hour as well, yes?" Trick chuckled from the back of the group, getting a snort from Atticus.

"Pardon me, Duncan, but why does that require seven Wardens exactly?" Alexis spoke up as she gently scratched Petunia's head.

"Because we've received reports that the darkspawn maybe attempting to attack us from the tower itself." Duncan replied. "My scouts have located a rather large opening in the base of the tower. We all know that darkspawn originate from underground, therefore we believe that they may be trying to flank us before we get the chance to do the same to them."

"Who would have thought the mindless beasts so creative?" Danlas growled in his rough voice.

"From what I've studied I'd say that this confirms this is a true Blight." Tiaran, the pretty elf girl, said quietly.

"Quite right, Tiaran." Duncan nodded. "The only records we have of darkspawn using such strategies are from Blights, the only time when Alphas and Emissaries, their commander units, are bred. This is why I want you all in there. There will be a lot of them, but they won't all be able to charge through that hole at once. You can fight your way through them, light the signal and then descend the tower again to hold them off."

"We should move immediately then." Atticus said, taking charge once again.

"Agreed." Alistair added.

"Alistair will know the signal when he sees it." Duncan said with a smile. "I'm proud of you all, my new Wardens. Remember to stand with one another and you will all be fine."

"Duncan, may the Maker watch over you." Alistair said solemnly.

"May He watch over us all."

After crossing the bridge, and dodging the fireballs being launched by the massive army of beasts below, the group came to the entrance of the tower and saw a rather large group of darkspawn being led by one of the tallest creatures Garric had seen yet cleaving their way through a unit of soldiers.

"Let's take them out!" Atticus yelled, charging forward with Alistair, Alexis, Petunia and Trick while Garric, Tiaran and Danlas moved to higher ground. The three distance fighters scrambled up the ruins of a battlement to get out of range only to find several hurlocks waiting for them at the top. Danlas pulled out his blades and the sound of clashing steel rang out through the area as he dove into battle against the alpha, leaving the mages to fight the rest.

"Stay back!" Garric barked to the elf girl, throwing a blast of cold energy at one of creatures. The icy orb of magic struck the darkspawn in the chest, hitting it so hard that it went flying over the edge of the battlement even before it could freeze. He then summoned a glyph of repulsion around himself that launched another pair of darkspawn off of the edge that ran at him with their blades raised high. Behind him Tiara was desperately chanting spell after spell without a break, one hand raised towards Danlas and charging him with spells to boost his strength against the large Alpha and the other flinging healing spells down to their companions.

"Garric, I'm running out of mana!" she said between heavy breaths.

"Just hold on!" the former apostate said, focusing his energy into a single burst before throwing it outwards at the darkspawn. The entropic spell passed straight through Danlas, hitting the hurlock alpha square in the chest. The crackling energy around him begun to form into a dark, ominous cloud that spread around the hurlock. Seeing Danlas move into a strike, Garric quickly threw another repulsion glyph, this time around the hurlock, causing the elf to be forced back towards his companions as the Death Cloud spell took effect and the monster crumpled to the ground, choking on the toxic magic that had forced its way into his system. The creature slumped to the ground, the Death Cloud spell having taken effect, as Danlas was helped up by the mages.

"What sort of sorcery was that?" Danlas asked, turning on Garric.

"One of the most powerful entropy spells I know." Garric groaned, taking a swig of a lyrium potion before passing one to Tiaran. "Sorry about the glyph. Magic, particularly entropy, doesn't discriminate. If you had gotten close enough to attack the spell may have moved on to you as well and then we'd have a dead Warden on our hands and that just seems like so much paperwork."

"Joke all you like, shemlen, but it seems to me that your powers are even more dangerous than fire-thrower." Danlas growled.

"Danlas, this isn't the time." Tiaran said, moving her petite form between the two men.

"_Abelas, _Keeper." Danlas said through gritted teeth, bowing his head to the elven mage before making his way back down to the others as they finished off the last of the darkspawn.

"Why does he keep calling you that?" Garric asked as the two mages also begun to climb down the wall.

"Perhaps it's because I'm an elf and a mage?" Tiaran suggested. "In the Dalish clans the mages are revered and trained to be leaders of their people."

"Now isn't _that _the better way of thinking." Garric chuckled as he and Tiaran joined the others.

"It seems the darkspawn have already invaded the tower." Atticus said to the group. "We're going to have a fight on our hands here. Remember that our objective is getting to the beacon and lighting in time for Teyrn Loghain to flank the horde."

"What else are we going to do? Paint a hurlock's toe nails?" Garric asked sarcastically, getting a chuckle from Trick.

"We don't need your sass, Garric." Atticus shot back. "We have a job to do."

"I agree, so move out of my way and allow me to do it you pompous fool." Garric muttered, shoving his way past their arrogant leader and walking into the tower.

"Watch out!" Alexis yelled as a fireball spell soared over her head, heading towards the mages. They were almost at the top of the tower now, only to be met by a squadron of darkspawn soldiers under the commander of a powerful Emissary.

"I got it!" Garric called, throwing up a glyph of warding around himself and the other mages. The magic of the glyph absorbed most of the blast, saving the mages from the darkspawn's flames but still knocking them to the ground.

"There'll be no more of that!" Trick cried, melting out of the shadows and driving his blades into either side of the creature's neck, giving it a firm kick in the back to knock it to the ground and pull his blades free. Around him the rest of the Wardens had finished off the unit of darkspawn and were wiping the sweat from their brows or cleaning off their weapons.

"I think that room is the top of the tower." Tiaran said, nodding to the large double doors at the top of a small flight of stairs as she treated a rather nasty cut Danlas had got from a genlock.

"There's something big up there." Alistair said grimly. "I can sense it. Is everybody ready?"

"Ready as we'll ever be." Garric replied as the other Wardens nodded. Atticus led them up the stairs and into the large atrium-like room. It was covered in ruined furniture and filth. At the other side of the room they could see the fire pit that they would use to light the beacon. Guarding it, however, was a huge, hulking mass of muscles, teeth and horns.

"T-that's an ogre." Tiaran stammered as the beast noticed them.

"Yes, rather big fellow isn't he." Alexis replied, holding her shield tight to her chest.

"Fan out, we'll try and confuse the big brute by attacking from all sides." Atticus ordered. "I'll try and draw its attention with my spells."

"Not alone you won't, shemlen." Danlas said, drawing his bow.

"Very well. Danlas and I will attack it from a distance and try to give the close-range fighters an opening. Tia, stay as far away from it as you can and focus on healing any injuries."

"Yes, brother." Tiaran nodded, her hands already shimmering with pale healing energies.

"And me, oh fearless leader?" Garric asked, gripping his mother's staff tightly as the ogre released a deep, terrifying bellow.

"Try not to die." Atticus teased. The ogre ran at them and the Wardens leapt apart, dashing in different directions. Luckily they all avoided the beast, watching as it crashed into the wall and got it horns stuck.

"Attack!" Alexis yelled as the beast struggled to free itself. Atticus unleashed a stream of lightning from the tip of his staff as Danlas released a follow of arrows. The monster freed itself only to find the warriors, Trick and Petunia attacking its legs. It knocked them away with a swipe of its massive arms, only to be assaulted by a particularly large fireball spell from Atticus, boosted by Tiaran's strengthening spells, detonating in its face. The creature's pained roar rocked the room as the smoke cleared and most of the flesh on its body seemed to be melting away. With a savage growl it locked eyes with Tiaran, who had darted forward to heal an injured Trick's leg, and charged.

"NO!" Garric yelled, releasing a barrage of confusion and illusion hexes from his staff at the ogre. At first they seemed to be having little effect, but soon the beast succumbed to the power of Garric's magic and fell to the ground just short of the two elves. "You will not have them!" Garric roared, throwing a glyph of repulsion around the elves before releasing a wave of energy at the corpses of two fallen soldiers. The corpses were illuminated with blue energy, power directly from Garric, and were soon on their feet and hacking away at the ogre's neck.

"I-is that blood magic?!" Alistair asked, outrage clear in his voice.

"No." Atticus replied as Garric himself landed the killing blow, conjuring a large spear of ice and willing it through the ogre's skull. "Garric reanimated the corpses with his own mana, not by summoning demons." The former Circle mage raised his staff, aiming it towards the fire pit, and released a bolt of flames that lit Loghain's signal. He then walked to Garric, who was downing a lyrium potion while Tiaran cast rejuvenation spells on him and Alexis helped Trick to his feet. "That was quite the feat. You're truly gifted at entropy and spirit magic but I feel you have potential to flourish with primal magic as well if you'll allow me to teach you."

"Maybe when I've had a nap?" Garric mumbled, his eyes barely open. Just as the Wardens were about to let out the collective breath they had been holding an arrow soared through the air, piercing Tiaran's chest as darkspawn poured into the room.

**Did you guys like it? My question is which of the characters would you like to see the next chapter's point of view be from? The Warden with the most votes wins! I'll be doing this every so often I think, or maybe regularly, who knows? Excludes non-Origin characters like Alistair and Morrigan. So your choices are Garric, Danlas, Atticus, Tiaran (if she survives), Alexis and Trick.**


	3. The Village

**Thanks for the reviews and feedback guys! I really appreciate all of your comments! After your suggestions I decided to do somewhat of a mashup point of view with this chapter, between Trick and Tiaran. I hope you enjoy and continue to review! :)**

Trick was sat close to the fire seemingly absorbed in sharpening in blades. Of course this couldn't have been further from the truth. While he was truthfully sharpening his weapons he was also taking the chance to properly observe his companions. While he had been able to observe them in battle during their mission into the Wilds and in the Tower of Ishal he hadn't been able to watch them as people instead of warriors. They were about a day's walk out of the Wilds where they had recovered from the Battle of Ostagar in the house of the strange old witch that had rescued them. When the group met Flemeth previously they had many different reactions, some not believing her to be who she said, some fearing her and Danlas even bowing to her. Trick personally didn't put much stock in legends but he did respect the woman for rescuing them and healing them. With no more Grey Wardens to help them fight the darkspawn they were now making their way across Ferelden to unite the factions that had sworn allegiance to the Grey Wardens along with the help of Flemeth's daughter, Morrigan.

Putting his sharpened blades back in their sheaths Trick stood up, stretching his arms up and arching his back like a cat before glancing around the camp again. They were camped at the top of a small hill that Alexis had deemed a solid, defensible location. Lothering, the town that Morrigan was leading them to in order to restock and regroup, was visible in the distance several leagues away. Petunia, Alexis' faithful mabari, was sat still as a statue at the front of the camp, ever watchful for any intruders. Alistair was in his tent seemingly asleep. The former Templar had been quite since they left the Wilds, no doubt mourning the loss of his family. Alexis seemed to be lost in thought as she stared into the fire opposite where Trick had been sat. Atticus, Garric and Morrigan were the furthest away from the camp, stood around a smaller fire that Morrigan had built a little away from the others while still being on top of the hill. Atticus had made good on his promise to teach Garric more of what he called 'primal' magic, focusing on the skills the other human already had and trying to expand his knowledge of ice magic. Morrigan apparently had knowledge in that field and was helping them in return for Garric teaching her more of his hexes and Atticus teaching her more lightning spells. Trick chuckled when he heard the two human men arguing. It was all they had done since they decided on their mission, aimlessly bicker and bitch at each other until one of them stormed to the front of their little group in a huff.

Danlas had gone hunting under the cover of darkness leaving only Tiaran left for Trick to observe. He walked over to the elven girl, sitting beside and watching her grind elfroot with her mortar and pestle.

"I am no herbalist, Tiaran, but I think that is quite finished." Trick noted, looking at the green mush in the wooden bowl.

"Yes, it seems that way, doesn't it?" Tiaran seemed to snap out of whatever train of thought she was on when Trick spoke, pouring the mashed elfroot into a larger bowl before adding some water from her skin and a few more ingredients.

"You seem agitated." Trick said as the girl stirred her concoction.

"Not really, just feeling a little homesick." She answered, briefly looking over at the other mages before turning back to the potion she was mixing.

"Homesick or left out?" The rogue suggested.

"Perhaps a little of both?" Tiaran replied, chuckling despite herself. "It was always me and Atticus in the Circle, you know? In that place mages aren't actually allowed to have families. Any children born are given to the Chantry so we make our own families. That's why Atticus and I refer to each other as brother and sister, he's the only family I've ever known."

"And now your big brother has other mages to play with and you're jealous?" Trick teased.

"Of course not!" she replied indignantly. "Well, maybe. I don't know. I like Garric, don't get me wrong, but all he and Atticus have done since they met is bicker or make eyes at each other. Then this Morrigan woman joined us today and he has spent all day with them sharing spells while I've been left to brew poultices. So yeah, maybe I do feel a little left out. What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing, nothing at all." Trick said evenly. "However, you are our healer and you said when we first met that healing is your forte and you could never so much as light a candle without a flint and tinder."

"That doesn't mean I can't learn other schools of magic if I didn't want to." Tiaran sniffed. "Morrigan and Garric are both experienced with entropy. I don't see why they can't teach me some hexes to protect myself, or Garric teach me his defensive glyphs, so that I don't have to rely on Alexis or Alistair to constantly look over their shoulder to make sure a darkspawn hasn't gotten to me." The girl sighed as she began to pour the red mixture into vials. "I'm more than just a healer."

"Ho-ho! Of course you are!" Trick said with a grin. "If it weren't for you I would've died earlier when I was eyeing up those berries. You are a font of knowledge, Tiaran. It was you who warned us of the different kind of darkspawn in the Tower of Ishal and their battle tactics that you learned in your studies."

"I _did_ spend a lot of time studying the Blights in the Circle." The girl blushed.

"Just because you can't rain fire down on your foes doesn't make you any less of a Warden, my sweet." Trick chuckled. "Besides, we need someone like you to put us back together after every fight or we'd have all died before we even got to the top of that Tower!" his response was a playful shove that ended up with him rolling halfway down the hill.

Tiaran felt sick as they walked into Lothering the following day. After quickly dispatching a group of bandits on the Imperial Highway they had walked down into the village, passing through the refugee camp on its outskirts. The smell of shit and unwashed bodies had hit her hard but it was the sight of the orphans sat alone in the filth, staring despondently at their hands.

"Must we stay here?" She asked Alexis, the closest to her, her throat hoarse.

"I doubt we'll be here very long." The warrior replied. "Just until we gather information and plan a course of action."

"About that." Alistair spoke up. "I think, before we look into the treaties, we should travel to Redcliffe and seek out Arl Eamon. His forces never made it to Ostagar so he'll have his full retinue of soldier's and, as well as being a very well respected voice in the Landsmeet, he was the King's uncle which means he'll be able to help us get the nobles to lend us their aid."

"Finally come out of your depression long enough to speak, have you?" Morrigan's voice dripped with sarcasm. "Falling on your blade in grief seemed too dramatic even for you, did it?"

"Do my feelings of loss bother you, Morrigan?" Alistair shot back. "How would you feel if your mother died?"

"Before or after I stopped laughing?" the apostate replied.

"Silence, witch." Danlas growled. "Remember that the only thinking keeping the shemlen mage hunters from you is that we are claiming you as a Warden recruit."

"You believe I need your protection, little elf?" Morrigan turned on Danlas, hands on her hips. "You believe me to be some quivering maiden who trembles at the thought of Templars, do you?"

"Enough, all of you!" Atticus snapped. "Alistair has a point about Redcliffe. Having a well-respected noble, and his forces, on our side will curry us favour with the other noblemen of the country."

"I, uh, I don't think Redcliffe is the smartest option." Garric said as they began to walk into the village proper. "What with my mother and I attacking a group of templars and fleeing the last time I was there and all."

"We'll discuss it more later, Redcliffe is only a short distance out of the way of the Circle anyway." Atticus said. "Trick, you are good at bartering, yes?"

"The best there is." Trick replied evenly.

"Why don't you see if you can sell our surplus armour and weapons and get us some coin?"

"I'll go with him, brother." Tiaran spoke up. "I need to invest in some more herbs anyway. Perhaps Trick can sweet talk a herbalist for me?"

"It would be an honour, of course." Trick grinned.

"And I shall accompany them." Morrigan added. "I too need to restock my herb collection."

"So two elves and a Chasind-looking apostate bartering with human merchants alone?" Alexis sighed. "That won't do. I'll accompany them as well. If worst comes to worst I can say that the elves are my servant and Morrigan is…"

"If you say your 'handmaiden' I will freeze off each of your toes in the night." Morrigan said, her voice low an dangerous.

"Very well." Atticus replied. "The rest of us will head to the Chantry and then the tavern to see if we can gather any information on Loghain and his treachery. We'll meet back on the other end of the village in, say, three hours?"

"Excellent." Alexis nodded. "Let's go."

"You can't seriously have agreed with that man?!" Tiaran asked as the group walked away from the merchant, Trick tucking a fat coin purse into his pack.

"Business is business, little healer." Trick replied.

"He was extorting those poor people!" Alexis said, equally as shocked as the other female Warden.

"That priests harping was getting on my nerves." Morrigan said drily. "Better our friend Trick got rid of her with words before I did with spells."

"And bring the Templars down on us, how wonderful." Tiaran snorted.

"Enough arguments, ladies!" Trick barked as they walked towards the small fields that lay on the outskirts of the western side of the town. "What's done is done and the man was kind enough to tell us that the only herbalist in town is dead and where we can find the wild herbs you need for your healing potions, now stop-"

"Hold." Alexis said quietly as they walked into the fields, holding out her arm to stop the others. "Bandits." She nodded forward where, at the foot of a small hill, a group of bandits were picking amongst the corpses of fallen villagers. "If we're quiet we can avoid a-"

"Get them!" one of the men shouted when he saw their group.

"-fight." Alexis sighed, pulling out her sword and shield as the bandits charged at them. Trick was out of sight already as Alexis took the leader head on. Morrigan had shifted into the shape of a giant spider and was crushing one of the bandits leaving Tiaran alone at the back of the group with two of the cutthroats approaching her, daggers drawn.

"Pretty little thing, ain't she?" one of them leered, his one, yellow tooth visible.

"Bet she's still pure." The other snickered. "Oh, how I love to break in tight little elves."

"Back away!" Tiaran tried to sound intimidating but it came out as a sort of squeak. "I am a mage! I could kill you with a twitch of my nose."

"Do it then, little elf." One-Tooth sneered. Focusing her power into the palm of her hand Tiaran conjured a swirling white orb of power which she launched forward with her will. The Arcane Bolt soared toward One-Tooth, hitting him square in the chest and knocking him back a few paces but otherwise doing nothing. "Was that?" he laughed. "Oh, you will be fun."

"No, she will not!" Trick's voice rang out as he leaped, seemingly from nowhere, on to One-Tooth's back and sliced his throat with one dagger while launching the other into the side of the second bandit's face. Both men slumped to the ground, leaving Trick to retrieve his daggers and turn to his fellow elf. "You ok?"

"F-fine, they didn't touch me." Tiaran stammered, clearly shaken up from their threats.

"Maybe we should get the others to teach you a little battle magic, just in case." Trick grimaced.

**Filler-tastic, I know. But there you go. Trick/Tiaran chapter, leaned a little more towards Trick but hey-ho. Please review and give me your feedback guys!**


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